From Now On
by Beautiful Thief
Summary: Daiki's fire always burns in Kise's heart, after all.


Written for Day One of aokiseweek : Firsts

Title shamelessly borrowed from Kill Hannah's From Now On.

Happy Teikou!AoKise day guys :3

* * *

[sight]

.

The first Ryouta sees of Aomine is his open, honest face as he fetches the ball that flew into the back of his head, and Ryouta would probably have thought that he was the most gorgeous boy he's ever seen if he hadn't been feeling cranky because his head hurts like a bitch.

.

(Daiki first saw Kise on the cover of one of Satsuki's magazines. She had bought it because it had articles about getting the boy you like to notice you and ever since Tetsu had given her that winning popsicle stick she'd been in love and reading magazines to figure out how to get him to fall in love with her. She was researching, trying to find the things that were frequently recommended to do as, she had explained to him, they were the ones most likely to work.

He remembers looking over at the magazine a few times, being struck by the boy on the front. He was probably the prettiest boy Daiki had ever seen, and it was weirding him out.

"Who's that on the cover?" he'd asked.

"Hm?" Satsuki closed it and checked. "Oh, that's Kise Ryouta! He goes to our school, you know. He's in the same year as us, too. He's supposed to be really good at sports; I heard the tennis club captain cried when he quit the club to play baseball instead." She flicked back to her page, and, curiosity satisfied, Daiki returned to his basketball magazine.)

.

[words]

.

"What's your problem?" That _really hurt_.

.

(Daiki saw him walk past the gymnasium, and grinned as the ball left his hand and landed unerringly on the back of Kise's head.

"Sorry, sorry! Oh, you're that famous model, Kise-kun.")

.

[touch]

.

Ryouta doesn't initiate touch very often with people he's unfamiliar with – Aomine initiates most of their casual touches in the beginning, with arms slung around shoulders and hands messing with his blonde hair. Aomine has all the power in their relationship, it feels like. Ryouta doesn't know whether his touch would be welcomed, and, well, he's not exactly used to idolising others, but he does know this; idols often reject those who look up to them. He would know.

Still, after he's made a starter, he throws caution to the wind and jumps on both Kurokocchi and Aominecchi, an arm around both of them, and when they smile at him he feels lighter than air.

.

(Daiki's always communicated best through actions, more than words. He's pretty impressed by Kise, making it to first string in just two weeks. If he keeps up this kind of rapid rate of improvement, he's going to be everything that Daiki's ever wanted – so he can't help but sling an arm around the pretty boy's shoulders as he announces that they're all going to go celebrate Kise's promotion to the first string.

The fact that Kise's a model and has the money to pay for popsicles is just a neat bonus.)

.

[game]

.

Aomine runs rings around him and it leaves Ryouta breathless and exhilarated – _yes, yes, yes, this is what I've been searching for_.

.

(Kise hasn't been playing for that long, and yet he's playing better than most of the first string, though he's not nearly as good as the rest of the regulars, Daiki notes. He can't help the bubbling excitement as it slams into him – one day, Kise will be incredible.

But today he's just a bit above average, and Daiki's going to show him who's the best.)

.

[kiss]

.

Ryouta is first kissed by Aomine on a bright summer day after the Inter High in their second year of high school, and he absolutely does not see it coming.

They're walking home from the park that Aomine invited him to for a few games of one-on-one and now the sun is setting and they're walking to the train station, and Aomine comes up onto the platform with him and just as they see the train arriving, he yanks on the front Ryouta's shirt to send him careening into Aomine's body, and when he looks up, frowning and about to ask why he did that, Aomine kisses him.

The first time Ryouta kisses Aomine is next week at his house, when, after a few nights of tossing and turning before finding restless sleep, he comes to the conclusion that fucking Aomine is always going to be the death of him and asks Momoi to give him directions to Aomine's house from the closest station to it.

.

(Daiki kisses Kise because he's kind of always wanted to. He wants to say it's for bragging rights, so he can tell people he's kissed a famous model, but the truth is at once much simpler and much more complicated.

As they walked to the station, Kise was doused in the fire of the setting sun and Daiki can't help but think that Kise looks like hope, and Daiki's not exactly sure when he fell a little bit in love with Kise, but it has undoubtedly happened, and, well. He knows he's never going to be able to get out a confession in words. This is the only way he can do it.

After Kise leaves, he calls Satsuki to have a small freak out. She comes over bearing junk food despite that she says it fucks with her skin and they play video games all night and somewhere around 1 am she says that she doesn't think leaving was Kise's answer to his confession.)

.

[date]

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Ryouta organises their first non-basketball date, because fuck you Aomine, he wants to be taken out on a _proper_ date; playing basketball can't count (even if they do end up back at one of their houses making out afterward) because if Ryouta considers that a date then he has to think Aomine is also dating Kagami and he's pretty sure Kuroko will be pissed to find that out.

They go see a movie, but the whole thing is kind of awkward from the get-go; they can't agree on payment (Aomine's terrible, awful macho side comes out – Ryouta refuses to admit that he can also have a terrible, awful macho side) and they argue about splitting or one of them paying at the desk for five minutes, and after they settle on splitting the cost the girl at the counter looks like she's ready to stab them both. They don't re-live the payment argument when they go to get popcorn, and simply get whatever they want.

The movie is an action film, but Aomine falls asleep halfway through, and Ryouta's tempted to leave him there in the cinema after he discovers it, but instead he sighs and shakes him awake, and decides that maybe traditional dating just doesn't suit them. Besides, it'd probably be bad if rumours started flying around. Just because they'd be true wouldn't make them any easier to deal with.

.

(Daiki's pretty content to just play basketball and make out with Kise. He can't really think of anything he'd rather be doing, or anyone he'd rather be doing it with. But he humours Kise's desire to go on a proper date. He feels guilty afterward when he's been a pretty bad date, but can't help but feel secretly pleased that Kise doesn't insist on them doing anything other than play basketball together after that. After all, Kise looks his most stunning on a basketball court, and it never fails to get Daiki kind of hot.)

.

[words – again]

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The first time Ryouta tells Daiki he loves him is as he screams at him for being so fucking stupid_ – "Why can't you see how much I love you?_"

.

(Daiki's been saying it for years, but not in ways that Kise would understand. Kise needs to hear him say it, but even after Kise's gone and dropped that particular bomb on him, he really struggles to say it in return.

He says it in a quiet moment after they've made up from the fight, right before Kise has to leave to go home.

"_I love you too, you know._"

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[fight]

.

It happens because Aomine is a phenomenal idiot, and Ryouta refuses to accept anything to the contrary.

They fight all the time, but that's just the petty stuff that doesn't matter. Their first big fight happens because Ryouta's manager wants him to pretend to date some popular female idol to increase his own popularity, and even though Ryouta put his foot down and said no fucking way (maybe if he was single he'd be up for it, but not when he's seeing someone), Aomine loses his shit and what was supposed to be a funny story and Ryouta telling Aomine how much he cares about him becomes a shouting match.

.

(Daiki knows it's his fault, but the idea that Kise would ever even just _pretend_ to be with someone else makes his blood boil and his heart ache. Staged dates involve kisses and doing couple-things that he and Kise don't do, and what if Kise decides that being with Daiki is too much more work than dating some cute chick? He kind of sees red, and the fact that Kise refused to do it flies right past his head.)

.

[touch – again]

.

He's not sure why it's so exciting – like, it's not like he doesn't have one too, not like he hasn't touched himself before.

But the fact that he's got Aomine in his hand, that _he's_ causing those sounds to come from his mouth, and that _he's_ the reason Aomine is twitching and swearing – _well_.

It makes him really, _really_ hot.

.

(Kise looks just as fucking incredible beneath him as Daiki's always thought he would, a mass of pale skin and gold hair and Daiki wants to leave marks all over him, he thinks as he runs his hands over his body. He wants everyone to know that Kise is _his_, that Kise has always been his, and _will_ always be his.

Watching Kise fall apart beneath him is a different kind of incredible.)

.

[apartment]

.

They're both at university (different ones, because they're still playing basketball; both are in on scoutings because their grades are fucking awful) when they move in together.

Ryouta could probably afford to rent them a better apartment – he earns a fair bit modelling, after all – but since they agreed to split the rent, they got something they can both pay for.

Ryouta likes it better than he expects – it might be tiny, all of one bedroom, bathroom, and the kitchen and living space are pretty much the same thing, but it's _theirs_.

.

(Daiki was a little bit nervous about moving in with Kise; not because he thought living together would ruin their relationship, but because anyone who they invite over is going to instantly know they share a bedroom, what with the size of the apartment they live in.

Still, every day when Daiki comes home to Kise sprawled out on their bed, snoring quietly because training runs him ragged on top of his studies and work, Daiki can't ever bring himself to think that it was a bad idea.)

.

[pet]

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Ryouta totally thinks the fish counted.

.

(Daiki does not.)

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[parting]

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It's only temporary, of course; Ryouta knows this. Aomine's going to go and shine in the spotlight of international basketball. He could follow him, of course, but Ryouta's been standing on the precipice of this decision for months and missing Aomine should not be the deciding factor. Besides, it's not as if playing professional basketball would help – they wouldn't end up on the same team, and there aren't _that_ many cities with more than one team in residence. They could be in the same country and still be as impossibly far away from each other as Tokyo to New York.

.

(Daiki knows Kise's stalling on his decision. He has a feeling he knows the answer, but Kise needs to figure it out himself.

But Daiki knows, he thinks at some point on the flight. Kise loves basketball too much to stop now. And it sends warmth spinning through his veins.

Daiki's fire always burns in Kise's heart, after all.)

.

[reunion]

.

Ryouta hadn't played in that day's game. It had been frustrating to watch Aomine on his warpath, shooting glances at the coach who was steadfastly refusing to have Ryouta play. _"I know Aomine the best. If anyone's going to stop him, it'll be me. I've been doing it for years._"

But no, Ryouta and his talents are not to be revealed today. Ryouta has noticed the disbelieving flick of Aomine's eyes towards Ryouta's coach, as if he can't possibly understand why he's holding Ryouta back. It adds an angry edge to Aomine's play. While games at this level are more challenging than any high school or university game, Aomine is still as stunningly, breathtakingly talented as ever.

They don't get to speak until after, when the game's done and lost (for Ryouta, anyway). A few of Ryouta's teammates are still dawdling and packing up when he gets the message that Aomine's outside.

It's been so long – Ryouta doesn't even think before barrelling out the door (his teammates later say they've never seen him move so fast) to find Aomine leaning against the wall, and he doesn't stop – he keeps going, crashing into Aomine with a heavy thud.

"What the fuck's with your coach," is the first thing out of Aomine's mouth – not _I missed you_, or _I love you_, or even that annoying _hey babe_ he was so fond of – and it's just so Aomine that Ryouta almost bursts into tears.

"No clue," Ryouta manages to get out – his throat is squeezing tight, and he's clinging to Aomine like a lifeline. Aomine is warm and solid under his touch, though he smells pretty bad.

.

(Daiki had been waiting for this match. His teammates had been asking him why he was so manic for days, until their scouts had highlighted international rookie Ryouta Kise as a potential trouble spot. They'd all turned simultaneously to look at him.

"We're old buddies," Daiki says defensively, because it's true even if it's not the entire truth.

But it was not to be, because apparently Kise's new coach had decided that this game wasn't worth throwing out Kise for. Daiki kept throwing looks at the coach, completely unable to understand _why_ – his teammates all just laughed at him for wishing to make it harder [because no one else understood the way Kise did, just how badly there needs to be real challenges for people like them]. Kise sat on the bench looking just as frustrated and pissed as Daiki felt.

Daiki excused himself from the locker room as soon as he could escape the sports reporters, many of whom liked to try and talk to the flashy star rookie, and headed towards the changeroom where he knew Kise's team was stationed for the game, fiddling with his phone in his pocket until he arrived.

He had wanted to laugh as Kise ran out to meet him, but couldn't, because his breath was knocked out of him by Kise's powerful frame colliding with his, and he couldn't even bring himself to warn Kise that a few of his teammates had taken a peek to see what had sent their rookie rocketing from their locker room. Instead, he let his arms curl around Ryouta and asked, with not just a little bit of derision, "What the fuck's with your coach?"

He didn't really even care anymore, because all that waiting was over, and Kise was back where he belonged again.)

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End file.
